


Swords, Love, and Happiness

by Diary



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Bechdel Test Fail, Conversations, F/M, Gen, Introspection, POV Male Character, POV Podrick Payne, Post Episode: s06e08 No One, Season/Series 06, Self-Reflection, Unrequited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-07-14 20:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7188665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pod and Brienne talk about Oathkeeper, and Pod reflects on her and Jaime's relationship. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swords, Love, and Happiness

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Game of Thrones.

“Do you know of a good place to sell a sword, Pod?”

“Yes, my lady,” he answers.

“Sell the one we just bought, and keep half the money. The other half- I’ll deal with it.”

“Yes, my lady."

Sighing, she looks down at Oathkeeper with a slightly sad smile. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Pod agrees but would never say so aloud.

She looks up. “But you aren’t.”

Or, he supposes, he will now.

“No, my lady,” he carefully acknowledges. “Ice was Lord Stark’s, and you were his wife’s sworn sword. Ser Jaime made a vow to her, but you vowed your entire life to her. I don’t understand much about inheritance, but it seems you’re the one with the most right to have it. It was unlikely Ser Jaime wouldn’t recognise this.”

Whether he’d honour it or not, Pod hadn’t been sure until earlier.

“What of her still living children?”

Seeing she’s merely curious instead of gearing up for exasperated sarcasm, he answers, “Lady Sansa wouldn’t know what to do with it, my lady. Lord Commander Snow- she felt how she felt, my lady. There’s Rickon Stark, I suppose, but if what Lady Sansa and Lord Commander Snow knew of him still holds, he’s safer with it in your hands than his. Arya and Bran Stark- if they’re not dead, one’s a crippled boy, and she might still have the needle sword.”

Abruptly, she says, “Jaime truly isn’t the same man I once met. I wonder, sometimes, if I’m the same woman he did.”

He stays silent, and all of Bronn’s earlier words echo uncomfortably in his head.

Thankfully, he knows, if Bronn tried to touch her- well, she probably wouldn’t kill one of Ser Jaime’s closest friends, especially not with Oathkeeper. Bronn wouldn’t be able to do more than try, however, and there would be pain.

She does look at Ser Jaime the way Bronn had said she does.

Ser Jaime doesn’t look at her the way she deserves to be looked at.

Foolish ideas swirling around in his head, he knows, just as he knows he’d likely be dead if it had, but- if Renly Baratheon and Ser Loras Tyrell had never been, surely, Renly would have seen the sense in marrying her. She must have been so kind (Pod still sees it sometimes), despite its neutrality, Tarth is rich and powerful, and surely, even a man who desired other men would be weak against her looking at him the way she does Ser Jaime now (a man who desires his own sister, however, is quite simply an abomination).

Maybe not at first, but eventually, Joffrey and Queen Cersei and the others would have gone too far, and Renly would have gone after the throne.

With Lady Brienne, he would have gotten it, Pod knows, and the seven kingdoms would have had the best Queen it’s ever had. Her beautiful boys and strong girls would give more promise than any prince and princess has in a long time.

Ser Jaime looks at her with affection and respect, but he doesn’t look at her as if she’s the most important person in his world. He doesn’t look at her like a man who would give anything to make her happy.


End file.
